CONFIRMATION OF RUTH AND PAYEL AT ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, CALCUTTA

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, RUTH AND PAYEL WERE CONFIRMED AS COMMUNICANT MEMBERS OF THE ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, CALCUTTA BY BISHOP ASHOK BISWAS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THEIR LIVES AND AS STAFF OF THE HOPE HOME CALCUTTA, THIS IS A FIRST! IT WAS A SOLEMN CEREMONY AND THE SERVICE WAS UPLIFTING. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT LAST YEAR EXACTLY THIS TIME WHEN WE WERE HARASSED, TORMENTED AND PERSECUTED (e.g., they were not allowed to come to Church or pursue their studies and music/dance; were not even allowed to turn on the electric fan from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.; the only place to wash their dishes was the toilet!) BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE PEOPLE THAT THESE TWO LADIES WOULD NOW BE COMMUNICANT MEMBERS OF ONE OF THE OLDEST AND HISTORIC CHURCHES IN CALCUTTA! GOD BLESS BOTH OF THEM AND OTHERS TO FOLLOW!

Rev. Nigel Pope, the Presbyter of the Cathedral

YOUNG MUSLIM GIRL'S PASSION FOR EDUCATION AND DECENT LIVING...THE FIGHT FINALLY WON!!

 KHUSBOO BANO, COMING FROM AN EXTREMELY POOR MUSLIM FAMILY LIVING IN THE SECOND LARGEST RED-LIGHT AREA IN CALCUTTA WAS OUR FIRST GIRL INTAKE! SHE WAS TINY, UNDERNOURISHED AND SICKLY. WE LOVINGLY CALLED HER RACHEL! SHE BEGAN DOING EXCEEDINGLY WELL IN HER STUDIES AND EVEN RANKED FIRST IN GRADE 7!

LAST YEAR THE SOCIAL WELFARE PEOPLE COMPELLED HER TO STAY AT A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED 'HOME' FOR A FEW WEEKS BEFORE ALLOWING HER MOTHER TO TAKE HER BACK TO THE SLUMS. THE OPPRESSION AND TORTURE BEGAN THEREAFTER.

EVERY TIME SHE OPENED HER MOUTH EXPRESSING HER DESIRE TO STUDY, SHE WAS ABUSED, TORTURED AND SHOUTED DOWN. MONTH AFTER MONTH SHE WITHSTOOD THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL TRAUMA...BUT STUCK TO HER DECISION TO STUDY, GET A PROPER EDUCATION AND EMPOWER HERSELF TO LIVE A LIFE OF DIGNITY AND HONOR.

KHUSBOO EVEN HAD TO FILE A POLICE COMPLAINT AGAINST HER OWN BIOLOGICAL FATHER FOR TORTURE AND IMPROPER BEHAVIOR AND WON A RESTRAINT ORDER FROM THE POLICE AGAINST HER FATHER.

LAST WEEK, HER MOTHER SHOWED THE FIRST SIGNS OF RELENTING AND AGREED TO ALLOW HER TO CONTINUE HER STUDIES IN A SCHOOL OF HER CHOICE! WE DID ATTEMPT TO ENROLL HER IN GRADE 9 IN THE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE BOYS AND GIRLS ATTEND FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION-BUT ONE YEAR OF UNBEARABLE OPPRESSING AND HELLISH LIVING CONDITIONS (ONE SMALL ROOM- 7 x 10 FEET AND 7 ADULT MEMBERS SHARING SPACE, NO TOILETS, BATH ON THE SIDEWALK, STREETS FLOODED WITH PROSTITUTES AND PIMPS...) DID HER IN AND SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO CLEAR HER ADMISSION TESTS.

THE GOOD NEWS, IN DIVINE SCHEME OF THINGS, SHE IS NOW ENROLLED IN GRADE 8 IN OUR SCHOOL AND BEGAN HER CLASSES YESTERDAY.

NOTWITHSTANDING A DAILY COMMUTING TIME OF OVER TWO HOURS AND LEAVING HER 'HOME' BY 5 A.M. IN THE MORNING.

I HAVE NEVER KNOWN ANOTHER STORY LIKE THIS IN THE 10 YEARS OF OUR OPERATIONS AT HOPE HOME CALCUTTA! SUCH IS THE POWER OF COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION!

WE SALUTE THIS BRAVEHEART! AND WE ARE HONORED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A YOUNG GIRL SUCH AS KHUSBOO!

...with Dev during a visit by a few staff of Hope Home in August to her slums

...she visited us for a couple of hours in September and all hell broke lose after that...the mob in the slums even prepared to physically assault her and Bro. Arun who went to reach her back home

...with our girls in September

...Khusboo had a hair-cut after school yesterday, a decent bath with shampoo and soap about an year and the smile back on her face...

RACHEL, THE WINNER AND WOW! WHAT A FIGHT IT WAS BY A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL!

Thank you all for standing wtih us all these months. Together we CAN!